NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, roughly the size of a tennis court when its solar arrays are deployed, is equipped with cutting-edge technology and science instruments.
Its main computer, flight software, and telecommunications systems were developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), while Maxar Technologies provided the main body and most engineering hardware.
The Psyche spacecraft uses solar electric propulsion through four Hall-effect thrusters that expel charged ions of xenon gas, creating thrust. Psyche’s solar arrays produce between 2.3 to 3.4 kilowatts of power while orbiting an asteroid, and it communicates with Earth using a high-gain antenna provided by Maxar and three low-gain antennas designed by JPL.
- Psyche’s scientific instruments are designed to examine the asteroid it orbits:
- A multispectral imager will photograph the asteroid’s surface in different wavelengths of light, both visible and near-infrared.
- A gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer will identify chemical elements on the asteroid’s surface by detecting emissions caused by cosmic rays and high-energy particles.
- The orbiter’s magnetometer will also look for evidence of an ancient magnetic field to provide clues about the asteroid’s origin.
- The telecommunications system will also be used for gravity science, helping to determine the asteroid’s rotation, mass, and gravity field.
Another noteworthy feature is the Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) technology demonstration attached to Psyche. DSOC aims to test optical or laser communications far beyond the Moon and could provide bandwidth enhancements for future space missions without increasing hardware size, mass, and power.
Although DSOC is not intended to relay data for the Psyche mission, its successful implementation could significantly improve data transmission capabilities for future human and robotic spacecraft, potentially aiding missions to destinations like Mars.
Photo credit: NASA Television
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